The McDonough Museum welcomed the Reunion II Alumni Invitational last Saturday with a public reception that was sponsored by Martini Brothers.
The reception was held from 6-8 p.m. and featured a display of one of the moving pieces of art in the museum, along with finger foods and beverages.
The exhibit features a selection of Youngstown State University alumni, many of whom reached national and international recognition for their work. Fifty-six local artists are featured in this exhibition including Jim Cliff, Kirk Poffenberger, Lezlie Thorndike and Vaugh Wascovich.
One of the most outstanding features of the exhibit is Wascovich’s Rodeo Series. The pieces are installed on the exterior of the building and depict long exposure photos of people riding horses or bulls at a rodeo.
The McDonough will also offer a limited edition T-shirt designed by Justin Carolyne for sale in the museum.
In addition to the artwork, there will also be a fall lecture series offered that will showcase multiple alumni. Bill Tomory, an accountant representative at Knepper Press, will speak on Oct. 8 and Chris Ross, preparator at the Akron Art Museum, will speak Oct. 15. Both lectures will be from 5:30-6:30 p.m. in the auditorium of the museum and are free and open to the public.
The Reunion II Alumni Invitational was funded in part by tax dollars provided by the Ohio Arts Council to “encourage economic growth, educational excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans.”
Many university students were found at the event on Saturday and have a positive view towards the exhibit being introduced into the museum.
Brian Beck, a sophomore at YSU, said that having the Reunion II Alumni Invitational art and lectures featured in the museum are extremely beneficial to the university students.
“It’s great to see the different paths the alumni have taken after they left YSU. People think that after you graduate it’s all over … this shows that it’s possible to make a name for yourself,” Beck said. “Being a college student, I don’t have much money, so having the art and the lectures free of charge is awesome. I can be cultured and actually view pieces and hear lectures that I’d normally have to pay for.”
Julia Miglets, a YSU freshman, said that she enjoys seeing different pieces of artwork brought in from alumni that have travelled to different places.
“It’s cool getting to see traveling artwork because it’s something new that we don’t usually get to see on campus,” Miglets said. “Anytime something new is brought to campus, it makes student life more interesting and being here becomes more enjoyable.”
Jenna Henshaw, a sophomore at YSU, said that she thinks it’s interesting to have alumni artwork showcased at a local exhibit.
“It’s pretty cool that we can see different things done by people who used to be and still are, in some cases, local,” Henshaw said.
The exhibit will continue through the month of September and will end Nov. 7. The museum is open to the public on Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
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